Portable seat cushion



J1me 1952 v. A. ATKINS PORTABLE SEAT CUSHION Filed Dec. 29, 1948 Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE SEAT CUSHION Verna A. Atkins, Anderson, Ind. Application December 29, 1948, Serial No. 67,857

This invention relates to seat cushions and more particularly to a portableand ioldable seat cushion which may be conveniently carried to sporting events or other places of public gathering.

It is well known that spectators attending sporting events or the like, and especially those events held in outdoor arenas or stadia, are subject to acute discomfort from the wooden seats or benches which are provided. In addition to their lackof resiliency,- such seats or benches are often rainsoaked or have an irregular surface and should have some form of covering. Further, any covering provided should have means for fastening it to the seat or bench, since many bleachers or stands are built of a skeleton framework and articles are easily lost or dimcult to retrieve if they fall to the ground below. Such stands or bleachers are usually crowded and any covering or cushion not fastened is easily knocked off when the spectators rise to their feed during moments of excitement. The portable seat cushion hereinafter described has been specifically designed to meet these requirements.

One object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat cushion which may be folded so as to decrease its bulk while it is being transported from place to place.

A further object of the invention is to devise a portable seat cushion which is provided with a convenient carrying strap.

A further object is to make the above described carrying strap adjustable, so that the loop formed by said strap may be enlarged to permit it to be placed on the bearers shoulder, or reduced to permit it to be gripped in the hand or looped over the forearm.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a carrying strap so constructed that it may also be used to secure the cushion to the seat or bench during the game or event, thus preventing the cushion from slipping off when the spectators rise to their feet during the game.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable seat cushion covered with waterprooi material to permit it to be used under all weather conditions.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

2 Claims. .(Cl. -182) Fig. l is a side elevational View of a seat cushion constructed in accordance with the present invention, said cushion being folded for carrying and the carrying strap adjusted for posi= tioning on the shoulder,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the invention shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical. sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged. fragmentary, vertical, sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the seat cushion opened for use and secured to a bench.

The portable seat cushion is composed of a unitary, rectangular base section 6 upon which are constructed two pockets 1 and 8, each of which covers substantially half of the base section 6, the inner edges of these pockets meeting at an axis of bending which passes through the geometrical center of the base section 6.

Each of the pockets 1 and 8 is formed of side walls 9 and end walls it, these walls being made of a narrow strip of the covering material. The lower edges of the side walls 9 and 10 which are adjacent the outer edges of the base section 6 are secured to the base section as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The outer edges of the base section are turned back upon themselves as at II. The lower edges of the side and end walls 9 and I 0 are turned back upon themselves as at l2. The web I 3 of a corner bead I4 is then inserted between the two folds II and I2 and the whole assembly fastened together, as by stitching. The lower edges of the inner side walls 9 and In of the pockets 1 and 8 and which edges fall on the axis of bending are not attached to the base section 6 but are attached one to the other, as by stitching. The natural hinge formed by the base section 6 is thus able to act more freely than if the inner side walls were sewed to the base, and the length of service of the cushion is increased by avoiding the weakening eifect of a row of perforations or stitchings in the base section at the axis of bending.

Each of the pockets 1 and 8 is filled with any suitabe resilient material I5, such as kapok, wool fibers, foam rubber, or the like. Each pocket is then covered with a rectangular section I6 of the covering material, the edges of the cover 16 being secured to the upper edges of the side walls 9 and end walls IU of the pocket, as shown in Fig. 4. Such joining is made by turning the upper edge of the side well back upon itseir as at I1, turning the outeredge or serting between the two folds the web IQ of a corner bead 20.

Adjacent the outer edge of the base section 6 where it joins the outer side wall of the pocket 1 are positioned two male elements 2| of any standard snap fastener. Adjacent the opposite edge of the base section 6 where it joins the outer side wall of the pocket 8 are positioned two female elements 22 of said snap fastener. When the cushion is folded these fastener elements 2| and 22 cooperate to hold the pockets 1 and 8 together, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the axis of bending and adjacent each side edge of the base section 6 are positioned two male elements 23 of a standard snap fastener.

For carrying the seat cushion there is provided a strap 24. At either end of the strap 24 is posi tioned a female element 25 of a standard snap fastener. At a point approximately one third of the length of the strap 24 is positioned a female element 26 of a-snap fastener.

When the seat cushion is to be carried over the shoulder, the female elements 25 on the ends of the strap 24 are joined to the male elements 23 at the axis of bending, as shown in Fig. 3. When a short loop is desired, the intermediate female element 26 and one of the elements 25 are connected to the male elements 23 on the cushion, and the loose end of the strap is placed between the two pockets.

In the use of the seat cushion the snap fastener elements that maintain the pockets '1 and 8 as shown in Fig 2 are separated. and the cushion is placed on the bench or seat 21', as shown in Fig. 5, with the base section 6 facing upwardly. The strap 24 is then looped under the seat and fastenedby joining the female elements 25 and 26 on the strap to the male elements 2-3 of the snap fasteners on the "axis of bending.

While the seat cushion described may be covered with any material, a water proof or waterresistant material is to be preferred.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is never'theless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable seat cushion, a unitary base section, an axis of bending through the center of said section, and a pocket on either side of said axis, each of the pockets being constructed on half of the base section and having side and end walls and a cover, the lower edges of the outer end and side walls of each pocket being secured to the marginal edge of the biasefsection and the lower edge of the inner side wall of one pocket being secured to the lower edge of the inner side wall of the adjacent pocket, said joined edges resting upon the unitary base section at the axis of bending but not being in any way attached thereto.

2. In a portable seat cushion, a unitary base section, an axis of bending through the center of said section, and a pocket on either side of said axis, each of the pockets being constructed on half of the base section and having side and end walls and a cover, the lower edges of th outer end and side walls of each pocket being secured to the marginal edge of the base section and the lower edge of the inner side wall of one pocket being securedto the lower edge of the inner side wall of the adjacent pocket, means adjacent -the outer marginal edges of said pockets for securing them in a folded position back to back, and a carrying strap removably attached at the axis of bending, said strap having fastening means at each end cooperable with fastening means on the axis of bending of the seat cushion, and an intermediate fastening means on said strap between the two fastening means also cooperable with said fastening means on the axis of bending to shorten the carrying length of the strap when desired.

V-ERNA A. ATKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1;;624 Great Britain l May 9,19 1; ea-s32 great Britain Dec. 2'3, 1912 782,695 France Jane s, 1935 

